Robert Lawrence FitzPatrick is an author. He serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert,[1][2] a consumer organization to confront the abuses of pyramid schemes.[3]
Biography
Early career
Fitzpatrick's interest in pyramid schemes was sparked in the 1980s when he joined a business with a multi-level, direct-sales model. While Fitzpatrick didn't lose money, he did witness first-hand how one could get sucked into what he called "delusional behavior".[4]
Author
FitzPatrick is the co-author of the self-published book False Profits: Seeking Financial and Spiritual Deliverance in Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Schemes (ISBN 0-964879-514),[5] a 1997 critical book that examines the multi-level marketing industry. He has followed it up with his book Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing.[6]
Speaker
FitzPatrick has been featured on Fraud Squad TV,[1] ABC World News[2] and WTTW's Chicago Matters.[7] He has been interviewed live on CBC's Marketplace.[8] He has been quoted in newspapers and journals, including The Wall Street Journal[9][10] and The New York Times.[11]
References
- 1 2 "Fraud Library - Pyramid & Ponzi Schemes Fraud". Fraud Squad TV. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- 1 2 "ABC News - Multimillion Dollar Scam Exploits Women". ABC World News Archive. Archived from the original on 2004-08-03. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ Robert FitzPatrick | Pyramid Scheme Alert
- ↑ "Multi-Level Marketing Critic: Beware 'Main Street Bubble'". CNBC. 9 January 2013.
- ↑ "False Profits - Robert L FitzPatrick - Book - Barnes & Noble". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ Pyramidschemealert website
- ↑ "WTTW Chicago Matters - Money Talks - Is It a Pyramid Scheme". WTTW Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-11-06. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ "Easy Money - Buying Into the Pitch to Become Rich - CBC News Marketplace". CBC Marketplace. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ Stecklow, Steve (28 January 2009). "In Echoes Of Madoff, Ponzi Cases Proliferate (1-28-2009)". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ Maremont, Mark (2006-03-01). "Online 'Autosurf' Scams Use Legal Businesses to Flourish - Partial Article (3-1-2006)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
- ↑ Zimmerman, Eilene (2009-03-15). "Direct Sales as a Recession Fallback - NY Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
External links
- Official website
- Robert L. FitzPatrick Official False Profits Blog
- Pyramid Scheme Alert - Homepage
- Robert L. FitzPatrick Interview on Charlotte Talks Radio Show (12-4-2006)
- Robert L. FitzPatrick Interview - ZenBiz Radio
- Robert L. FitzPatrick - Speech at the annual meeting of the Association of Certified Fraud Specialists in San Francisco (September, 2006)